Chapter Text
Picture this: You're tasked with psychoanalyzing the mind of the first ever alien sapience humanity has ever encountered, and try to understand the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning of a non-human mind.
If the circumstances had been any different, Marly would have been ecstatic about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conduct a groundbreaking research that had the potential to revolutionize the field of psychology.
But as they reviewed the video footage of every interaction their team had with Number Five, trying to create a cohesive picture of who they are as a person, Marly had only one question:
Who did this to you?
"Please, please, please, don't hurt me!" the digital voice of Number Five begged.
Marly paused the video, and for a few seconds they stared at the frozen visage of Number Five on the screen, staring them back in a frozen expression of fear.
Then, they cycled through the tabs to the text document containing their current notes.
Pertaining: Project Schiaparelli
Exploratory Psychological Assessment
Assessor: Dr. Marly Temple
Subject Name: Number Five (EL-01)
Subject Age: Unknown
Sex: Undetermined
Pronouns: Unknown (they/them, provisionally)
They started adding to their notes.
There were indications of potential hypervigilance, as well as anxiety- and paranoia-related behaviors. A proper psychiatric diagnosis would be necessary to confirm this.
They exhibited a high level of cooperation with very minimal resistance. However, whenever Number Five believes they have offended someone or broken a rule, they immediately expect severe, possibly physical, punishment.
This suggests that their agreeable nature may actually be a defense mechanism intended to avoid or minimize physical harm.
A learned behavior, most likely born out of a history of abuse.
Additionally, when left to their own devices, Number Five exhibits low activity and energy levels in their enclosure. They rarely interact with any of the objects in their enclosure, including enrichment toys and furniture. They become active whenever someone enters the observation room and will readily engage with that person, provided said person initiates the interaction. Otherwise, they rarely do anything unless someone else prompts them.
Possibly indicative of depression, but proper diagnosis is required. Additionally, Number Five has been confined to a small space with limited social interaction, which could easily exacerbate any pre-existing issues.
This raises concerns once again about Number Five's current housing situation. If the conditions are detrimental to their psychological well-being, changes must be made. Even if confinement itself is the problem, a compromise will have to be made, no matter how inconvenient it may be.
Another major concern, and arguably the most pressing one at the moment, is Number Five's actual age. In hindsight, this should have been one of the first questions they should have asked. In fact, it's the first question Marly has decided to ask Number Five when they meet.
How old is Number Five? Are they a fully grown adult with a fully formed brain, or a child whose body and mind are still developing?
It's one thing to assess the psyche of a being whose biological growth is complete, but it's another to assess the mind of a growing child.
Then there are the ethical questions that arise if it does turn out that Number Five is a child.
…
Marly cycled back to the video player and stared at Number Five's terrified expression for a full minute. Even though there was no sound coming from the laptop, they could clearly hear them begging not to be hurt.
Marly let out a long sigh.
Maybe it was a good thing that Marly didn't have plans this weekend.
Marly entered the observation room with a greeting, yet Number Five didn't respond at all. They remained silent on the ground of their enclosure, staring at the wall in front of them. They did, however, acknowledge Marly's presence by slowly raising their head to look at them.
They looked tired, with dark circles under their eyes.
Marly felt tempted to just leave. It was clear from the start that Number Five was not doing well, and they probably did not want someone to pry inside their mind.
Even so, Marly went over and sat down in the chair next to the observation window. It wouldn't help anyone in the long run if they left now. Doing this now would allow them to do more for Number Five in the future, and perhaps they would be able to help Number Five now.
After taking out her notebook and confirming that the video recorder on her suit was turned on, Marly spoke gently. "I came to talk to you and ask you a few questions about yourself."
Number Five didn't respond. They only blinked a couple of times before sitting up a little.
"I'm sorry, but this won't take long. If you feel uncomfortable answering something or want to stop, please let me know." Marly offered Number Five.
After a few moments Number Five simply nodded in response.
"All right, I want to start with a simple yet pertinent question. By the standards of your species, are you an adult or a child?"
Number Five didn't answer right away. They didn't say anything for a few moments, as if thinking about the question. Then, they blinked a few times before responding.
"What?"
How old are you?" Marly repeated.
Number Five again did not give an immediate answer, but their facial expression shifted slightly from tiredness to tiredness and confusion. After about a minute, they finally answered.
"I don't know."
That was definitely not the answer Marly was expecting, not at all.
"You don't know." Marly echoed.
"I don't know." Five repeated.
Right, of course they don't know. Because that would be convenient and straightforward.
"You don't know your exact age," Marly said again.
"No." Number Five said, lowering their head slightly as they hugged themselves.
Marly tapped their pen against the notebook in their hand.
"Do you think you could be old enough to be an adult?"
Number Five said nothing.
…
"Do you think that you might still be a child?"
Number Five shrank into themselves slightly, clutching themselves more tightly.
They opened their mouth, but no words came out. They closed their mouth, opened it again, and began to speak in a very hushed tone, but stopped themselves mid sentence.
However, Marly was only barely able to catch the words. "Why, you—"
After a pause, Number Five began speaking again.
"I—I—don't know. I don't know how old I am, but I know I'm one of the youngest. My batch was the last one they made before—"
Number Five stopped, closed their eyes and let out a sight before continuing.
"Twenty-three... He called me... He knew things. He said I was a child, but the guards said I am not. Twenty-three said not to always listen to them, even though they're in charge. It's crazy, but I—"
Once again, Number Five stopped, tightly shutting their eyes and taking a shaky, deep breath before continuing.
"I am one of the youngest, the last batch made. I think that makes me a child. But I don't know how old I am. I swear that's all I know."
All Marly could say in response was, "I see."
A silence fell between them. Marly began to write down some notes while Number Five shrunk into themselves slightly.
Then, Marly spoke again. "Thank you, Five, for answering that question. I DO appreciate your cooperation and effort."
Number Five didn't respond, but raised their head slightly to look at Marly.
One of the youngest.
"May I ask a question regarding your life before you arrived here?"
After a short moment, Number Five nodded, hesitantly.
"Do you have or had a home back on your world?"
Number Five did not give an immediate response, but Marly noticed how Number Five seemed to shrink in on themselves ever so slightly yet again, their gaze shifted from Marly to the ground off their enclosure.
"No," said Number Five, simply.
Even before Number Five gave their answer, Marly had already suspected what it would be, although they dearly hoped it would instead discard that possibility.
This time, it was Marly's turn to pause before speaking again.
"You have... No home," Marly repeated.
Number Five only replied with silence.
A homeless shelter? An orphanage?
"Five, did you have… Access to a shelter? Somewhere to rest while protected from the elements?" Marly asked, hoping for a positive answer.
Sadly, Number Five couldn't offer one.
"Sometimes… I used to stay in a cave. It was cold, but at least it was dry… But I had to leave because territorial demons moved in. Then, I slept under a bridge for a few days. Then the guards..." The Five stopped right there, either unwilling or unable to finish their recollection.
Nevertheless, the silence that followed, accompanied by Number Five's distant stare was more than enough.
Just as Marly was about to speak, Number Five blinked rapidly several times. Focus returned to their eyes, and they raised their head to look at Marly before speaking in confusion. "I... Sorry, but what was the question?"
One of the youngest.
Marly hesitated before speaking. "I asked if you had access to any form of sheltering before you arrived here, and you said you did not."
"I did?" Number Five asked.
Marly replied, "Don't you remember?"
"I...think?" Five said simply.
"It's all right, Five. You answered the question, and I'm glad and thankful you did," Marly said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.
One of the youngest.
"How are you feeling Five?"
"What?" Five said as their expression shifted into confusion.
"We've been talking for a while, and I just want to know how you're feeling."
Their face still showed confusion, but Marly noticed a hint of suspicion appear.
"I...I'm fine," they said simply.
"All right." Marly added, 'masking as a coping mechanism' among their notes.
They let a silence settle in as they gathered their thoughts. Then, Marly spoke in a firm but gentle and soothing tone.
“Five, let me make this perfectly clear, given that you are under our care at the moment, we, the people here on Line Ark, are responsible for your well-being and for providing for all your needs.”
At these words, Number Five lowered their head.
"That means providing you with basic necessities such as food, water, and healthcare. It also means providing you with enrichment, proper housing, comfort, and emotional support."
Five's face shifted in confusion once again as they raised their head slightly.
Marly put down their notebook, stepped down from their chair, and knelt in front of Five, bringing themselves to their level. The confusion on Five's face only grew.
"Five, my job and my responsibility—the reason I'm here—is to ensure that you are well mentally and emotionally. It's my job to ensure that you have access to whatever you need for your mental welfare. If something is causing you distress or making you uncomfortable, it's my job to ensure that it's either changed or removed. If you have a special need that requires consideration, it's my job to ensure that we provide you with appropriate accommodations."
Number Five merely stared at Marly with evident suspicion, confusion, and a hint of something else that Marly could not yet fully read. Nonetheless, they edged away slightly from the observation window.
"Oh, sorry." Marly said, backing away from the window while remaining at the same level as Five. "You do not trust me. That's okay. I understand. You have valid reasons not to trust me or us. So, I won't ask you to do that. It wouldn't be fair."
Number Five only replied with silence. They averted their gaze from Marly, arms crossed, choosing instead to stare at the floor. They remained like that for a couple of minutes, with Number Five pondering Marly's previous words and Marly simply allowing Five to process them.
Eventually, Number Five opened their mouth to speak, but when no words came out, they closed it. They went through this motion several times, seemingly struggling to get the words out, or perhaps to choose the right words. Ultimately, they asked one question.
"W—Why?"
Marly took a moment to consider how to properly answer that deceptively simple question.
"Five, when you ask 'Why?', are you asking 'Why aren't you asking me to trust you?' or 'Why am I treating you the way I am right now?' I can gladly answer both questions if you'd like. I simply want to make sure I understand your question."
Five did have a response, they tried to speak, but only silence and sputtering sounds came from their mouth. So instead, they settled for a shrugging gesture accompanied by a nod.
Both questions, then.
"Well, in order, I am not asking you to trust me, because I can clearly see that you have been hurt in the past. So, as a result, it's understandable that you're cautious. I won't ask you to pretend that you're comfortable with any of us right now; Instead, I'll work to earn your trust. I'll give you valid reasons why you can trust me and my team. In this way, you can decide whether we're worth your trust."
Upon hearing that, Number Five's mouth hung slightly open.
"As for the second question, I am merely affording you the most basic decency and respect that every person should enjoy. Treating you with dignity and empathy doesn't cost me anything and isn't difficult. Besides, since you arrived, you've been nothing but cooperative with us, doing your best to help us understand the world you came from. At the very least, you deserve this."
As expected, confusion and befuddlement colored Number Five's face after Marly spoke, an expression that held disheartening implications.
Number Five's next words only made those implications more concerning, and, quite honestly, sadder.
"I am not a person."
It wasn't just the sentence that struck Marly, but also the bluntness with which it was delivered, as if Number Five were merely stating a universally known fact of which only Marly was unaware.
“Wh—why did you say that?" Marly asked after a pause.
This, in turn, seemed to give Number Five pause. Apparently, they weren't expecting to be questioned about such a concerning statement.
"Because...I...I am not a person."
A silence fell between the two of them.
Take—it's yours, isn't it? Take it. I'm sorry I had it. I promise I won't break the rules again.
One of the youngest.
I—I… don't have a name… I am Basilisk Number Five from batch number three…
One of the youngest.
I—I—don't know. I don't know how old I am, but I know I'm one of the youngest. My batch was the last one they made before—
One of the youngest.
One of the youngest.
At that moment, Marly had only one question.
Who did this to you?
Marly instead chose to take a breath and say something else.
"That… doesn't matter," Marly began, much to Five's growing puzzlement. "What you are doesn't matter. You are a being capable of complex emotions. Clearly, you are able to suffer. Therefore, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you don't suffer. Simply because if I'm given the choice between being kind or cruel, I try to choose kindness every chance I get, and right now, that's what I've chosen to give you."
Cleary Five was not expecting any more objections after stating that they were not a person. They tried to speak, but every time they opened their mouth, they only made a sputtering sound before falling silent.
"There's absolutely nothing to be gained by inflicting pain on others when you can choose to show respect and kindness."
Another silence fell between the two of them. As expected, Five seemed perplexed by Marly's words but also deep in thought.
Hopefully, Marly's words would become the seed of doubt about a harmful sense of self. Differences of species or culture be damned! Still, they knew better than to expect this kind of drastic change in the span of a single day.
But Marly had to try. They had to try to help this child, even if only in the most insignificant way possible.
The irony of practicing pediatric psychiatry after such a long time, and here of all places in the world.